UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Two Penn State students in their respective areas of leadership have been honored with the 2023 John W. Oswald Award. Awards were given in the following fields: Priya Devanarayan, scholarship, and Chimwemwe (Michael) Mitole, student government.
The John W. Oswald Award, established in 1983, annually recognizes graduating seniors who have provided outstanding leadership in at least one of several areas of activity at the University. The award consists of a medallion honoring John W. Oswald, president of the University from 1970 to 1983.
Scholarship
Devanarayan is a Schreyer Honors College student majoring in biology in the Eberly College of Science with a minor in bioethics and medical humanities. She is passionate about critical and emergency care medicine in rural populations and has been serving as an emergency medical technician for the past two years, formerly serving with Penn State University Ambulance Service and currently serves with Penns Valley Emergency Medical Services.
Nominators said Devanarayan embraced a topic in her honor’s thesis in a way that shows not only will she make a great medical expert, but she will push for ethical change to benefit future patients as well.
Devanarayan looked at the unethical practice of unauthorized pelvic exams performed on anesthetized patients for medical training purposes.
“Ms. Devanarayan did not stop at researching in fields in which she is familiar; she expanded her focus to include substantial legal research as a non pre-law undergraduate,” a nominator said. “She sought out professionals to interview, asking difficult questions about the profession she wishes to enter. She dove into the legal, ethical and policy analysis — coming to a position contrary to the field and in an allegiance with the patient victims. She has been reflectively vocal about this unethical practice, presenting her research in Penn State undergraduate forums, at professional conferences and in an op-ed she is developing.”
Nominators said Devanarayan is precisely the type of candidate to enter the medical field. She is not only a gifted student who takes advantage of research, internships, and extracurricular activities, but she also is a critical thinker who constantly questions the status quo.
“To see a student engage in the self-directed way that Ms. Devanarayan has done on a topic that offers academic and real-world implications is rare,” a nominator said. “To see her become an advocate for victims of a practice in the field they wish to pursue is particularly impressive and demonstrates tremendous ethical leadership.”
Student government
Mitole is a Schreyer Honors College student majoring in finance in the Smeal College of Business with a minor in English. One of Penn State’s nominees for the 2022 Rhodes Scholarship competition, nominators said he’s an exceptional student with a drive to make Penn State a better place for all.
“He has continually looked for opportunities to make a difference and then made the most of these opportunities with an incredible combination of commitment and talent,” a nominator said. “As a result, he compiled an exceptional list of accomplishments here at Penn State.”
Mitole served as the chief of staff of the University Park Undergraduate Association in 2020, as the organization transitioned to virtual operations while continuing to advocate for the welfare of Penn State students adversely impacted by the pandemic.
He also served as one of the presidents of the Sapphire Leadership Academic Program, an organization that represents the top 5% of students admitted to the Smeal College of Business. In that role, he developed the Sapphire Case Method, a student-led case method learning program modeled after the instructional style used at the Harvard Business School. Over the last two years, he taught four case studies from HBS and Michigan Ross Business School to his peers.
In 2021, Mitole earned a national research award from McKinsey & Company to study business honors programs at undergraduate business schools in the United States. The results of his research became the subject of his honors thesis and he has presented his findings to leaders in business education at the Harvard Business School and the Harvard Business Publishing Company. Later in March, he will travel to the National Undergraduate Business Symposium at the University of Michigan to present his work to deans and senior administrators of undergraduate business schools in the United States. Mitole used the work started by his honors thesis to create the Business Scholars Institute, a national working group of program directors and business school administrators dedicated to improving honors education in business schools.
To improve diversity, equity and inclusion at Penn State, Mitole worked with several of his peers in the Nittany Lion Consulting Group to establish an ally group program. The ally groups hosted several events with other diversity organizations in the Smeal College of Business and achieved internship and full-time placements for their members at Johnson & Johnson, PwC, Boston Consulting Group, Deloitte and Grant Thornton.
“Mitole’s accomplishments contributed to our current students and will continue to impact future Penn Staters,” a nominator said.